The major objective of the proposed research is to evaluate the relative contribution of glycerol-3-phosphate pathway and acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate pathway to the formation of phosphatidic acid in brain and liver. The role of acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate and alkyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate in the metabolism of glycerolipids, glycerol-ether lipids and plasmalogens will be studied. The properties of the individual enzymes of the acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate pathway will be investigated and attempts will be made to solubilize and purify these enzymes. Different analogs of acyl dihydroxyacetone phosphate will be synthesized to test their possible use as inhibitors to some of the key enzymatic reactions.